In the Jewish culture, unleavened bread is usually eaten during Passover. The important of unleavened bread to Jewish people is how it represents Christ. In addition, it speaks of sanctification, in a way it also represents how a person is pure of no evil. The most common unleavened bread eaten on Passover is matzah. This bread is usually eaten with bitter herbs and sometimes with fruit.
This bread can also be made with herbs in it, such as cilantro. The unleavened bread is baked without yeast for the Passover. This is by how to the Jewish culture believes that leaven symbolizes error or evil. Matzah at the Passover represents how Christ’s physical body would not experience the ravages of death. Unleavened breads have been around since ancient times, they started out of Egypt. When the Jewish slaves left Egypt, it is said that they ate unleavened bread by how they did not have time to let the bread rise before baking.
To make Jewish style unleavened bread, you need a few ingredients. These ingredients are bread flour, water, sunflower oil, cilantro, and salt. There are no leveling agents; this is so the bread won’t rise. When kneading the dough, do so lightly then bake it off. Then take out of the oven and cut into triangles and bake for another few minutes. When it is done, the bread will be like crackers in texture. The Passover is usually takes place in March or April, and runs for seven days.
During those seven days, there are the first and seventh day is spent as a meeting between man and Christ. A common tradition is to sprinkle leavened (yeast) bread crumbs throughout the house and then sweep them all up. After doing so they take them outside to burn them, by doing so they believe they are getting rid of the evil or error. Passover also commemorates the exodus of the Jewish slaves from Egypt during ancient times. By the Passover, Jewish people get to celebrate the freedom of their ancestors from Egyptian bondage.
During the Passover, they also remember the last supper and what Christ said to his disciples. Christ told them the bread represented his body and to eat it in remembrance of him. The Jewish culture believes commemorating liberation from slavery has matzah as a primary symbol for the holiday. Thus, unleavened bread is a major symbol of freedom to the Jewish people and their past. Unleavened breads are also important to many other cultures, for different reasons. An example would be unleavened bread being used at communions.
Therefore, many denominations use unleavened breads for several religious ceremonies. Several types of unleavened bread can be made, but it is always brittle flat bread. The bread is usually almost like a cracker and served with herbs, salsa. It can also be served with bitter herbs; these represent the bitterness of slavery in Egypt.
Work Citied
- http://www. ehow. com/how_2127140_make-unleavened-bread-passover.html
- http://www. christcenteredmall. com/teachings/feast/unleavened-bread.htm
- http://www. jewishvoice. org/site/docserver/feast_of_passover_tend_cared. pdf? docID=1901
